Kitchen Table MFA (ALL): You said I should write more love poems and
Words By Steve Tomasko, Art By Yuu Khoang
This poem is part of the Kitchen Table MFA, a series that showcases writing communities through interviews and creative writing.
Poem first published in The Fiddlehead.
I said, I’m sorry, but I’ve been thinking about
sloths. Well, actually, the moths that live
on sloths. Nestle into their fur, take the slow,
slow ride through the rain forest. Once a week
the sloth descends to the forest floor. Defecates.
Female moths leap off; lay their eggs on the fresh
feces; jump back on. Their caterpillars nourish
themselves on the fetid feast, metamorphose
into moths, fly up into the canopy to find
their own sloths. They prefer the three-toed
over the two-toed. Eh, who can figure attraction?
The algae-covered sloth fur is the only place
they live. The only home the sloth moths know.
It’s a Darwinian thing, I know, but fidelity
comes to mind. Commitment. Patience.
The world writes love poems all the time.
Read Nancy Reddy’s interview with ALL here. Also check out the work of other ALL members Marilyn Annucci, John McCracken and Jesse Lee Kercheval.